1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mileage tracking device for use in connection with record-keeping for filing income taxes. The mileage tracking device has particular utility in connection with tracking a vehicle's mileage.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Mileage tracking devices are desirable for tracking a vehicle's mileage. Individuals driving vehicles for business purposes often need to track mileage for reimbursement or tax deduction purposes. The Internal Revenue Service requires detailed records regarding the date, purpose, and length of each journey to support tax deductibility, as do many employers. Prior art devices have been developed to meet this need, but they require access to the Global Positioning System (GPS) to function and are usually not hand-held devices.
The use of travel trackers is known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,741,933 to Glass discloses a travel tracker. However, the Glass '933 patent does not function without access to the global positioning system, and has further drawbacks of not being a hand-held device.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,718,263 to Glass et al. discloses a travel tracker network system that identifies, tracks, and reports tax-deductible vehicle travel routes. However, the Glass et al. '263 patent does not function without access to the global positioning system, and additionally is not a hand-held device.
Similarly, United States Patent Application Publication Number 2001/0020204 to Runyon et al. discloses a system for tracking vehicle and driver location and mileage and generating reports therefrom that tracks vehicle and driver location, mileage and time, and generates reports therefrom. However, the Runyon et al. 2001/0020204 patent application publication does not function without access to the global positioning system, and cannot be carried as a hand-held device.
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 6,975,929 to Maruyama discloses a data recording apparatus, data recording method, program for data recording and information recording medium that manages the travel history of a moving object according to the objectives of the travel. However, the Maruyama '929 patent does not function without access to the global positioning system, and also is not a hand-held device.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 6,826,473 to Burch et al. discloses a PDA with integrated navigation functions and expense reporting that integrates navigation data with PDA expense reporting functions. However, the Burch et al. '473 patent does not function without access to the global positioning system, and further lacks a solar panel.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,976,180 to Cupps et al. discloses a personal electronics device that performs a significantly increased range of functions in a hand-held unit. However, the Cupps et al. '180 patent does not track a vehicle's mileage, and has the additional deficiency of lacking a solar panel.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,542,120 to Gilbertson discloses a solar powered GPS device that receives GPS signals transmitted from GPS satellites in order to determine a time of day. However, the Gilbertson '120 patent does not function without access to the global positioning system, and also does not track a vehicle's mileage.
While the above-described devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a mileage tracking device that allows tracking a vehicle's mileage.
Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved mileage tracking device that can be used for tracking a vehicle's mileage. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need. In this respect, the mileage tracking device according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of tracking a vehicle's mileage.